According to several appeals sent to Kun.uz, dozens of Uzbek citizens are currently stuck in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Most of them traveled to the city as tourists but were unable to return home after their flights were canceled due to the tense situation triggered by recent Iranian aerial attacks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan and the Uzbek Consulate in Dubai told Kun.uz that citizens who were stranded during the first days of the emergency were returned to Uzbekistan on the earliest available flights.
As of March 6, however, officials say the situation in Dubai has stabilized. No new announcements about air attacks have been issued, and the city’s airspace has reopened. Airports are operating normally, and flights to Uzbekistan have resumed.
Under these conditions, officials say citizens who traveled to Dubai can return to Uzbekistan on suitable flights after coordinating with their tour operators.
The Uzbek Consulate in Dubai also released an official statement regarding the situation.
“At present, the situation in Dubai has relatively stabilized. As the airspace has reopened, flights on the Dubai – Tashkent route are gradually being operated by the airlines Uzbekistan Airways, Centrum Air, and Qanot Sharq. According to available information, flights operated by Uzbekistan Airways on March 5-6 and a Centrum Air flight on March 6 returned to Tashkent with empty seats,” the statement said.
The consulate added that Uzbek citizens who purchased tickets from Flydubai or Air Arabia but were unable to travel due to cancellations or delays can contact their tour operators or airlines and return to Uzbekistan on newly scheduled daily flights.
However, several stranded citizens who spoke to Kun.uz said many tourism agencies have stopped responding to their calls and messages.
According to them, some agencies that did respond referred to force majeure clauses in their service agreements. These clauses state that tour operators are not responsible for covering additional costs – including new flights – if an emergency situation occurs.
One of our readers said that she had traveled to Dubai with her mother and sister. Her sister had arranged the trip through a tourism agency, but the company said purchasing a new ticket was not their responsibility because the situation was considered force majeure.
